The White Spider: Story of the North Face of the Eiger Paladin Books: Amazon.co.uk: Heinrich Harrer, H. Merrick: Books

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Synopsis
This is an account of the attempts to climb the notorious North Wall of the Eiger, in 1938. The author was a member of the first party to climb the face, and although the book describes the grimness of the terrain, he attempts to communicate the joy of climbing as well as the hazards.

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19 Reviews

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
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4.1 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely essential mountaineering classic, 16 Sep 1999

By A Customer

No mountaineering bookshelf is complete without a copy of this compelling volume. It details every significant attempt on the North face of the Eiger from the first disastrous climb in 1932 to the many successes and failures of the 1960s. By the time you reach the end you'll feel as if you've climbed every agonising or inspiring step with the men and women that Harrer portrays.

The horror of the failed climbs and the ecstasy of the successes are vividly painted by Harrer's straightforward, unadorned style, which makes this such a gripping read. The only part of the book that jars is his rather old-fashioned and patronising description of the first attempts on the face by women. But this is a minor flaw in an otherwise influential and well-written book.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Famous Book about the first ascent of the Infamous Face, 8 Sep 1999

By A Customer

Heinrick Harrer, along with his companions Fritz Kasparek, Andreas Heckmair and Ludwig Vorg, made the first successful ascent of the North face of the Eiger, arriving on the summit at around 3:00pm on 24th July 1938. The book describes the endless battles faught on the face, sometimes to save others, sometimes to save themselves and sometimes in vain. It also tries to resolve some of the mysteries which shroud the face (It even has a route guide for anyone considering the climb). Despite the fact that the book was first published 40years ago and that the translation slips up from time to time does not alter the fact that this is a brilliant read. Unfortunately it didn't inspire to climb big faces as much as Joe Simpson's books did but alas it did inspire Joe Simpson and undoubtably many others to go out to the far flung reaches of the globe and climb.

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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compulsive reading., 28 May 2002

By A Customer

An absolute must for the true mountaineer or aspiring hopeful. Not to be read however immediatly before a bid to climb the face, but required reading whilst contemplating At times Harrer confronts you with the terrible bleakness of the stricken parties on the face, whilst remaining factual in a Tutonic way. Excellent. PS Another good account of the Eigerwand can be found in The Boardman Tasker Omnibus. The first book gives an account of the first succesful British Winter Ascent by Joe Tasker.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The White Spider
'The White Spider' is Harrers masterly history of the north face of the Eiger. This is the book that inspired Joe Simpson, and indeed has an introduction by him. Read more

Published 6 months ago by Spider Monkey

4.0 out of 5 stars Justifiably a classic
Harrer has researched the history of the seminal attempts on this vertical mile of rock in meticulous detail and as a result this book gives a rich picture of the physical and... Read more

Published 11 months ago by urban fox

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is an excellent read for "armchair climbers" and true believers alike.
Allowing for he odd translation nuance, Harrer writes extremely well and has clearly carefully researched the story of the face and the attempts to climb it - not just his team's... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Mike Kellett

4.0 out of 5 stars Drama and Death on the Eiger
Superb description of the first successful climb of the North Face of the Eiger in 1936. Possibly the most dramatic description of a climb I have ever read. Read more

Published 16 months ago by Alexander H. Hofmann

2.0 out of 5 stars Great subject - clumsy book
This is a classic climbing book and fascinating for anyone with a bit of basic climbing knowledge and a love of the mountains. Read more

Published 18 months ago by D. K. Faulds

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Amazing Book!
This is a great book by one of the first ascentists of the North Face of the Eiger, one of the last major challenges in the Alps to be climbed. Read more

Published 20 months ago by Simon Walliss

4.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Stuff!
As an armchair (couch potato!) reader of real-life high adventure, I've recently read various books of thrilling climbs, daring treks etc. Read more

Published on 28 Jun 2007 by Pamvire

5.0 out of 5 stars if you love mountain porn, you'll love this otherwise...
I had previously read Joe Simpson's 'The Beckoning Silence' and was fascinated by the Eiger and all that had happened in its eventful history. Read more

Published on 15 May 2007 by K-Pax

4.0 out of 5 stars The White Spider...
...was the first book on mountaineering that I ever read: it is also the scariest by far! Harrer writes in such a way that you identify with the brave souls high up on the Eiger;... Read more

Published on 3 Jun 2006 by Zarafa

2.0 out of 5 stars Mountain books for beginners
This is not the best-ever mountaineering book in the history of time, as some may affirm. Harrer's history of the north face of the Eiger is a fair example of early mountaineering... Read more

Published on 1 Aug 2005 by Lis

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	71% buy the item featured on this page: The White Spider: Story of the North Face of the Eiger (Paladin Books) 4.1 out of 5 stars (19)
	11% buy Into Thin Air: Personal Account of the Everest Disaster 4.5 out of 5 stars (157) �4.49
	9% buy Touching the Void 4.6 out of 5 stars (99) �6.99
	5% buy The Beckoning Silence 4.1 out of 5 stars (27) �6.29


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The White Spider: Story of the North Face of the Eiger (Paladin Books) (Paperback)

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